Have you ever been lost before? It doesn’t feel good, right? You scramble around every area trying to find your way back home but you can’t because you don’t really know where your house is. Fortunately for you, you can always ask for direction, and on top of that, there are many innovative gadgets you can use to show you the way. It may be easier for you to find your way back home, but for Theodore Roosevelt and his crew, it’s a nightmare finding their way back home.
Candice Millard’s The River of Doubt, written in 2005, is a 432-page nonfiction/psychological thriller novel. When I set my eyes on the texts, I know I will be in love with this book. I love this book because of many good reasons. First, I love how Millard’s skills in writing put me in Theodore Roosevelt’s shoes. Because of that, I am perfectly able to picture myself as the United States’ 26th president in my mind. Second, I really admire Millard’s hard work in writing this novel. After looking at the bibliography when I finish reading the novel, I am amaze at the long list of sources she includes. Therefore, it must have been very tedious to find all these sources in order to write about Theodore Roosevelt. With many sources, you know Millard’s portrayal of Roosevelt must be very accurate. Wanting to attract people to the story, I know she put her heart and soul into this novel; it’s noticeable because she is able to make me not put this novel down. Even though the novel is historical, many will think this novel may be boring, but it’s not. Millard’s novel is one of those historical novels that will not put readers to sleep. Furthermore, it helps readers understand the history of the United States during the early 1900s, which is a big plus for many students who are taking U.S History.
To ease his presidential election lost, Theodore Roosevelt decides to set up an expedition with a couple of men to the unexplored “tributary of the Amazon”. As they explore the tributary, Roosevelt and his men find themselves in a serious predicament. Not knowing where to head back home, they are left stranded in the lush rain forest of the Amazon without any food. And on top of that, they lose their canoes which are the only mode of transportation they have and deep in the rain forest lays belligerent Indians who are reluctant to kill them. Because of these problems, a huge possibility of dying causes tensions between Roosevelt and his men. They are stuck in a nightmare, and they must find a way out. Throughout the novel, some will live, and some will die as Roosevelt and his men fight their way back to civilization.
After reading this, I notices Candice Millard’s style is like Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet. The novel also relates to Discovery Channel’s television program, "I Shouldn’t be Alive", which talks about people who miraculously survive in the wilderness. And because of that, they share their experiences with the viewers. Readers 14 years old and up who love to search for an adventure will definitely love The River of Doubt; they will be never put this novel down.
Friday, June 6, 2008
The Unwanted Blog 15
Book Title: The Unwanted
pages read this week: 67
Pages read last week(s):978
Total pages:1045
weekly summary: Kien wants to leave Vietnam and go to the U.S.
weekly thought:In the book, Kien could no longer take it living in Vietnam after the communist had take over. That was why Kien want to go to the United States so badly. The reason people in Vietnam escape during the war, was because the government after the Vietnam War. Unfortunately, the communist won. Therefore, there were less freedom for many citizens which caused many Vietnamese to set their eyes on other countries like the United States to live. From what i heard from my parents, my uncles and aunts were one of those people who succesfully escape from the communist regimes. Though it was difficult for them to by-pass the Communist's government, they found a way and sneakily made their way to the United States. My uncle and aunts were those boat poeple. It was a long trek and because of that some people die of thirst and hunger. It's sad to hear stories about how they were on the boat and when a person die, people had to put the dead overboard. The communist had made a serious impact in many Vietnamese lives and its noticeable as many people during and after the Vietnam War had to find a way to escape the Communist. Fortunately my relatives were not caught. If they were caught escaping, it could only mean death for them. In the U.S some Americans were mad at the total number of Vietnamese immigrants entering the country, but some didnt know the reason why they left their homeland. They left behind their homeland because they want to live, and i think that is a good reason.
pages read this week: 67
Pages read last week(s):978
Total pages:1045
weekly summary: Kien wants to leave Vietnam and go to the U.S.
weekly thought:In the book, Kien could no longer take it living in Vietnam after the communist had take over. That was why Kien want to go to the United States so badly. The reason people in Vietnam escape during the war, was because the government after the Vietnam War. Unfortunately, the communist won. Therefore, there were less freedom for many citizens which caused many Vietnamese to set their eyes on other countries like the United States to live. From what i heard from my parents, my uncles and aunts were one of those people who succesfully escape from the communist regimes. Though it was difficult for them to by-pass the Communist's government, they found a way and sneakily made their way to the United States. My uncle and aunts were those boat poeple. It was a long trek and because of that some people die of thirst and hunger. It's sad to hear stories about how they were on the boat and when a person die, people had to put the dead overboard. The communist had made a serious impact in many Vietnamese lives and its noticeable as many people during and after the Vietnam War had to find a way to escape the Communist. Fortunately my relatives were not caught. If they were caught escaping, it could only mean death for them. In the U.S some Americans were mad at the total number of Vietnamese immigrants entering the country, but some didnt know the reason why they left their homeland. They left behind their homeland because they want to live, and i think that is a good reason.
Friday, May 30, 2008
The Unwanted Blog 14
Book Title: The Unwanted
read this week: 66
Pages read last week(s):912
Total pages:978
weekly summary: Kien experience the damage cause by the Vietnam War.
weekly thought: The Vietnam War is one of the most major war in history. Because of this war, many people in Vietnam and Americans had lost thier lives. Some of my parents' friends was killed because of this war. They were either killed by the communists or commited suicide. What makes me sad was the Americans should help the South continue to fight but back in the U.S. many citizens believe the war was over. Therefore, they pulled out. This angers me very much because i believe the South would have won if the Americans had stick a little longer. This is my opinion so i hope i did not make anyone mad. I'm just so fustrated. The war also cause many people to immigrate to the U.S so they can be safe from the new communist regime. With no war, then no Vietnamese people would go to the U.S. I wont be here right now typing this blog if my parents didn't come to this country. I could keep on ranting about this war but i will be very long. The Vietnam war was a war that impacted many lives and it is etched in many Vietnamese minds. It is part of history we will never forget.
read this week: 66
Pages read last week(s):912
Total pages:978
weekly summary: Kien experience the damage cause by the Vietnam War.
weekly thought: The Vietnam War is one of the most major war in history. Because of this war, many people in Vietnam and Americans had lost thier lives. Some of my parents' friends was killed because of this war. They were either killed by the communists or commited suicide. What makes me sad was the Americans should help the South continue to fight but back in the U.S. many citizens believe the war was over. Therefore, they pulled out. This angers me very much because i believe the South would have won if the Americans had stick a little longer. This is my opinion so i hope i did not make anyone mad. I'm just so fustrated. The war also cause many people to immigrate to the U.S so they can be safe from the new communist regime. With no war, then no Vietnamese people would go to the U.S. I wont be here right now typing this blog if my parents didn't come to this country. I could keep on ranting about this war but i will be very long. The Vietnam war was a war that impacted many lives and it is etched in many Vietnamese minds. It is part of history we will never forget.
The Unwanted Blog 13
i decided to write a blog on a new book i am reading
Book Title: The Unwanted
Pages read this week: 67
Pages read last week(s):845
Total pages:912
Weekly summary: Kien talks about his childhood in vietnam.
Weekly thought: In the beginning of the book Kien was born into a wealthy family but when the communist began to invade south Vietnam, he became poor. This is similar to great grandmother because she became poor when the communist came in. My great granmother was so wealthy, she own many acres of land. She was also able to afford to travel to many places such as japan and france. However, when the communist from the North made their way to the south, they stole all my great grandmother's properties and drove her into poverty. Because of this, she had to find a way to survive without any money. She began to find some jobs so she can feed her family and it was difficult for her because she was a single mom. Plus she had like seven childrens. However, she pulled through and was able to keep the family intact. By reading this book, i quickly notice Kien and my great grandmother are very similar in many ways. They both had a hard life and everything was taken from them by the communist. This proves that life is not always easy. There are always rough times ahead.
Book Title: The Unwanted
Pages read this week: 67
Pages read last week(s):845
Total pages:912
Weekly summary: Kien talks about his childhood in vietnam.
Weekly thought: In the beginning of the book Kien was born into a wealthy family but when the communist began to invade south Vietnam, he became poor. This is similar to great grandmother because she became poor when the communist came in. My great granmother was so wealthy, she own many acres of land. She was also able to afford to travel to many places such as japan and france. However, when the communist from the North made their way to the south, they stole all my great grandmother's properties and drove her into poverty. Because of this, she had to find a way to survive without any money. She began to find some jobs so she can feed her family and it was difficult for her because she was a single mom. Plus she had like seven childrens. However, she pulled through and was able to keep the family intact. By reading this book, i quickly notice Kien and my great grandmother are very similar in many ways. They both had a hard life and everything was taken from them by the communist. This proves that life is not always easy. There are always rough times ahead.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Harry Potter Order of the Phoenix Blog 12
Book Title: Harry Potter Order of the Phoenix
Pages read this week: 67
Pages read last week(s):778
Total pages:845
weekly summary: Umbridge bans students from reading the newspaper and asking question about Voldemort.
weekly thought: What intrigued me the most is Umbridge is enforcing censorship on the students. According to Wikipedia, "Censorship is the suppression of speech or deletion of communicative material which may be considered objectionable, harmful or sensitive, as determined by a censor. " Censorship is use throughout history. For example, during World War 1, countries like Britain, the U.S, Germany etc would censor many things like newspaper because they thought they would harmed the country. In Germany they would ban books; Basically everything that would go against their government. Censorship would soon leak into literature. For instance, Ayn Rand's Anthem and Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 demonstrate how censorship badly affects a society. In my opinion, censorship does not protect a society, it destroys it. It stop people from asking questions and stop teaching people new ideas. This is why censorship is terrible and should never be enforce.
Pages read this week: 67
Pages read last week(s):778
Total pages:845
weekly summary: Umbridge bans students from reading the newspaper and asking question about Voldemort.
weekly thought: What intrigued me the most is Umbridge is enforcing censorship on the students. According to Wikipedia, "Censorship is the suppression of speech or deletion of communicative material which may be considered objectionable, harmful or sensitive, as determined by a censor. " Censorship is use throughout history. For example, during World War 1, countries like Britain, the U.S, Germany etc would censor many things like newspaper because they thought they would harmed the country. In Germany they would ban books; Basically everything that would go against their government. Censorship would soon leak into literature. For instance, Ayn Rand's Anthem and Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 demonstrate how censorship badly affects a society. In my opinion, censorship does not protect a society, it destroys it. It stop people from asking questions and stop teaching people new ideas. This is why censorship is terrible and should never be enforce.
Harry Potter Order of the Phoenix Blog 11
Book Title: Harry Potter Order of the Phoenix
Pages read this week: 66
Pages read last week(s):712
Total pages:778
weekly summary: Harry assumes Voldemort will use him as a weapon.
weekly thought: Because Harry thinks he is some kind of weapon that Voldemort wants to use, Harry decides to quit Hogwarts. In this blog, i want to discuss about jumping to conclusion. Jumping to conclusion is very bad. Sometimes people hastily jumping to conclusion without thinking;they lose sight of whats in front of them. Harry decides to quit because he believes he is a type of weapon and by quiting he can protect the people he loves. What makes me mad is Harry does not think any other ways to solve this problem. Instead of quiting, can he do something else? I am like Harry. One time when i was playing football, my team was losing. The only way to win was to score two more touchdowns. Because we were losing, i believe we could not win. It's over. I gave up so i sat on the sidelines. Astonishingly, my team actually pulled through and scored two touchdowns. Although i was happy they won, i was sad because i was bad at handling the situation. I knew if we scored twice, we would win. But, i thought we would lose. i was jumping to conclusion. When my team won, i learned people should never jump to conclusion. They should be calm and think of ways to handle the situation. I was not calm; thats why i was not able to think which made me felt very awful.
Pages read this week: 66
Pages read last week(s):712
Total pages:778
weekly summary: Harry assumes Voldemort will use him as a weapon.
weekly thought: Because Harry thinks he is some kind of weapon that Voldemort wants to use, Harry decides to quit Hogwarts. In this blog, i want to discuss about jumping to conclusion. Jumping to conclusion is very bad. Sometimes people hastily jumping to conclusion without thinking;they lose sight of whats in front of them. Harry decides to quit because he believes he is a type of weapon and by quiting he can protect the people he loves. What makes me mad is Harry does not think any other ways to solve this problem. Instead of quiting, can he do something else? I am like Harry. One time when i was playing football, my team was losing. The only way to win was to score two more touchdowns. Because we were losing, i believe we could not win. It's over. I gave up so i sat on the sidelines. Astonishingly, my team actually pulled through and scored two touchdowns. Although i was happy they won, i was sad because i was bad at handling the situation. I knew if we scored twice, we would win. But, i thought we would lose. i was jumping to conclusion. When my team won, i learned people should never jump to conclusion. They should be calm and think of ways to handle the situation. I was not calm; thats why i was not able to think which made me felt very awful.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Harry Potter Order of the Phoenix Blog 10
Book Title: Harry Potter Order of the Phoenix
Pages read this week: 71
Pages read last week(s):641
Total pages:712
weekly summary- Harry meets the new teacher of Hogwarts.
weekly thought- In this novel, a new teacher named Umbridge is giving Harry a hard time. This year, im having the same problem as Harry. In my middle school, there is a teacher that is gave me a hard time. Though i didn't learn from this teacher alot, i tried to hang on. Back then I learned by myself and i did not relied on this teacher to teach me. Sometimes i was so fustrated, i wanted to scream. However, i learned i have to be calm. Because i didn't learn alot from this teacher, i realized i must do it myself.
Pages read this week: 71
Pages read last week(s):641
Total pages:712
weekly summary- Harry meets the new teacher of Hogwarts.
weekly thought- In this novel, a new teacher named Umbridge is giving Harry a hard time. This year, im having the same problem as Harry. In my middle school, there is a teacher that is gave me a hard time. Though i didn't learn from this teacher alot, i tried to hang on. Back then I learned by myself and i did not relied on this teacher to teach me. Sometimes i was so fustrated, i wanted to scream. However, i learned i have to be calm. Because i didn't learn alot from this teacher, i realized i must do it myself.
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